Nearly 20 years after Jat Airways, then know as Yugoslav Airlines, ended services to Abu Dhabi, tonight the airline will restart the route. The flight departs tonight at 22.05, local time, and will operate via Larnaca (Cyprus) for a short technical stop. Passengers continuing to Abu Dhabi do not leave the aircraft. The aircraft will arrive in the capital of the United Arab Emirates in the early morning with passengers being able to connect to flights to Australia using Etihad Airways. Jat’s new service was approved after it made an agreement with Etihad Airways to transport Serbian passengers onwards to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. This service has been mainly implemented for the Serbian Diaspora in Australia which will now have the quickest connection to their homeland by using this combination. Jat had a similar agreement with Emirates Airlines which fell apart late last year when Emirates heavily increased its prices for Jat passengers from Australia and New Zealand continuing to Serbia (similarly it did this to Croatia Airlines). The new agreement with Etihad will also be the cheapest for passengers and has generated great interest amongst the Serbian Diaspora in Australia. For those that will not be able to connect to Belgrade via Abu Dhabi they will be able to do so via Frankfurt, Paris, Istanbul and Athens also using Etihad and Jat. Jat has 2 offices in Australia – one in Sydney and the other in Melbourne. Interest has also been high in Serbia with travel agencies and tour operators promoting Abu Dhabi as the new destination to be.Jat Airways will operate the service with their Boeing B737-300. The seat capacity will be 123 with 9 seats in business class and 114 in economy. Jat will offer its full meal service on the flight with a total of 2 meals served onboard (one hot from Belgrade to Larnaca and on the return from Abu Dhabi to Larnaca and one cold from Larnaca to Abu Dhabi and on the return from Larnaca to Belgrade). Passengers will also be issued with pillows and blankets while all alcoholic drinks will be free, unlike on Jat’s European services where alcoholic beverages are priced. Jat Airways has also received full rights to sell tickets from Larnaca to Abu Dhabi and vice versa.
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and unlike its rival Dubai it has been largely unaffected by the global financial crisis. The national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways, is considered one of the best in the world and is in the process of major expansion with services already operating to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Jat will operate 2 times per week to Abu Dhabi although this is expected to increase by at least one flight during the winter season.
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